Saint Patrick's Day is a cultural and religious holiday celebrated on 17 March. It is named after Saint Patrick (c. AD 385?461), the most commonly recognized of the patron saints of Ireland. Saint Patrick's Day was made an official Christian feast day in the early seventeenth century and is observed by the Catholic Church, the Anglican Communion (especially the Church of Ireland), the Eastern Orthodox Church and Lutheran Church. The day commemorates Saint Patrick and the arrival of Christianity in Ireland, as well as Irish heritage and culture in general.
(image by George McFinnigan)